Akeal Hosein out of T20I opener after failing to secure UK visa

Akeal Hosein, West Indies' left-arm spinner, has been ruled out of the opening match of the T20I series against England that gets underway in Chester-le-Street on Friday evening - and potentially the entire series - after he and his fellow Trinidadian, Jyd Goolie, were unable to secure the necessary visas to enter the UK.

Both men were unable to travel to the country following recent changes to UK visa entry requirements for Trinidad and Tobago citizens, which came into effect on April 23 and May 12, 2025. These changes required both players to submit visa applications and attend mandatory in-person appointments.

However, Hosein was unable to meet these requirements after being given permission by Cricket West Indies to remain with Quetta Gladiators until the conclusion of the Pakistan Super League late last month.

Goolie, meanwhile, had been named as a late replacement for West Indies' tour of Ireland last month, in the wake of Roston Chase's appointment as Test captain, but was unable to secure a visa waiver at such short notice.

Chase had been due to leave for a training camp in Barbados, ahead of the forthcoming home series against Australia, but has instead been retained in the T20I squad for the duration of the England series.

Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, explained the situation. "As soon as the updated visa requirements were announced, CWI began the necessary application processes," he said. "This was only possible after Akeal returned to Trinidad, and following the confirmation of Jyd's selection to the Ireland squad.

"Akeal, who was selected for both the England and Ireland legs of the tour, was granted permission to fulfill his commitments with the extended Pakistan Super League until mid-May.

"Jyd was called up for the Ireland series … however, [he] was unable to secure the required visa waiver, as the transition period for Trinidad and Tobago residents had already expired."

CWI confirmed that formal efforts had been made the expedite the process for both players. "These processes are ultimately governed by UK immigration authorities and remain outside of CWI's control. CWI remains optimistic that the matter will be resolved in the coming days, allowing Hosein to join the squad for the remaining matches."

The situation comes in the wake of concerns raised by Major League Cricket about the potential exclusion of Afghanistan cricketers from this season's tournament, which begins on June 12, following a recent travel ban implemented by the Trump administration.